I, in person, handed Ira Glass a manuscript for a story pitch for his show "This American Life" and it obviously went into to the story pitch black hole. Never heard back from the guy. Meeting him in person was cool though. He and I were born same day, same year.

@bleurowz -- Yes. Short pieces are handled differently than novels, but the process is essentially the same.

First, anything you decide to market must be carefully evaluated for these things: 1) What is the intended audience? 2) What is the genre? 3) Word count of the body text.

Next, a market search needs to be made to find publications/publishers handling works aimed at your audience/genre whose word count requirements include your piece. I suspect the majority of writers would like to be paid for their work, so search those markets that pay. Most publications handling short works pay by the word, hence the importance of word count for the writer --- but do NOT pad your writing because it is obvious and will kill your chances of being published.

When you have found the markets for which any given work appears to be best suited, read their submission guidelines and follow them to the letter. If you don't, it is likely your work will be rejected because of that alone, though most will give some latitude --- but don't depend on it.

Submit your work. Be patient. Wait for the rejection. There will be a lot of rejection. Prepare yourself for it. It is possible to sell your first time out, but highly unlikely. Authors who are audacious enough to accost the publishers with their work must also generate a thick and tough epidermis if they expect to survive.

All publishers/publications have their own way of handling submissions and the writer is advised to know what they are. Most are painless. Some are ... complicated. A few are infuriating. The trick is to submit and continue submitting until the piece is sold. Common mistake made by all new writers is trying their material on the lowest paying and non paying markets first in the assumption that being published will be easier and is better than not being published. They think that any publication experience will give them a better shot at the big guys later. It won't. Aim high and work your way down reluctantly.